The Mark of Athena: Reunion
by Chewy Nemesis
Summary: A one-shot of a more Roman reunion following the Son of Neptune. Please R&R  UPDATED DUE TO POPULAR DEMAND! FINISHED!
1. Jason I

**A/N Reunion Fics on are a dime a dozen, but I could never get a feel of what I would like to happen. This is just my idea of how the characters would react, while staying a little closer to the canon characters, but a lot more epic. I also made Percy more Roman. Please review, I would like to hear how this Reunion stacks up against the rest.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson or Heroes of Olympus. I don't even own a pen that can turn into a sword or a coin that alternates between being a sword and a spear.**

JASON I

Jason frowned, leaning on the rail of the Argo II, watching the San Francisco landscape glide underneath them. Next to him was Annabeth, who was leaning on the rail and frowning. He knew she was smart, and had probably looked up every recorded text on Old Rome while the Argo II was being built. She must know that if they weren't killed on sight, that Percy would have had to gain a place of great standing in the 12th Legion, either as Praetor or in a position like Octavian.

Jason's memory had returned slowly over the last eight months, ever since Juno was released. The first thing he remembered was his not-quite-but-could-have-been girlfriend Reyna, but supposed it never would have worked out. Unlike the Greeks, who didn't bat an eye when Annabeth and Percy announced that they were dating, Romans had a strong respect for power. Romans in power had an image that they had to maintain or else they were politically outmaneuvered and dropped, since they couldn't be killed like Julius Caesar when Terminus came down to guard their borders. Reyna cared too much for New Rome and Camp Jupiter to let anything like that happen to her, as it surely would if it came to light that the two Praetors were romantically involved, as such a development would throw into question their ability to lead. Still, Jason wasn't sure about Piper, as there was no doubt that they were romantically involved, but she was Greek. A tough-as-nails Greek, but a Greek nonetheless. He hoped that Percy Jackson, whoever he was behind all of the rumours and legends, was politically savvy enough to keep Octavian in line. Octavian would jump at the chance of labeling him as a Greek, preaching to the 12th Legion that their Jason Grace had died when Juno had taken him, an unfortunate side effect of removing his memory and placing him in the company of Greeks.

Jason turned to Annabeth, "Are you alright?" That was another thing about Greeks, he never would have asked that question in a public place in Camp Jupiter, especially not right before an intense diplomatic meeting. Such a question would imply that the person being asked was soft, and not fit for duty. "I'm fine, Jason." Her voice didn't sound strained or tight, but exhausted, as if she had resigned herself to whatever lay in store. "I'm just preparing myself to meet Percy as a Roman." And there it was, the crux of the matter. Jason was no longer purely a Roman, just as Percy would no doubt be less Greek than he used to be. Juno's plan was daring, it might even work, but in the execution it complicated a whole lot of people's lives. It was because Romans and Greeks had such contrasting perspectives that there was such a clear, defining line between them. You were either a Child of Rome, or a Greek Hero, and that was usually most clear right before the two sides fought. It didn't help that they had centuries' worth of issues, along with the demigod superiority complex that usually escalated the conflict. He couldn't just expect to walk straight back into Camp Jupiter with open arms, nor could Percy drop rank and suddenly rush forward and embrace his long-lost life. Jason was one of two people in this exchange, and only the two of them could really imagine how difficult and complicated this meeting was going to be. They could only hope to make it through in one piece.

"Attention all Greek demigods, and that one Roman that we're escorting, this is your Supreme Commander speaking. We are nearing the Roman Camp ETA in five minutes, that is all." Leo's voice boomed over the warship's intercom. Jason rolled his eyes. Leo got the gravity of the situation, and he didn't abuse the intercom, but he just had to overstate everything, it seemed. Shaking his head, Jason turned out to the ocean, looking for the inlet that was Camp Jupiter's only connection to the sea. He saw the Cohorts mobilised, and the Amazon force, whose leader looked a lot like Reyna. His heart leapt when he saw the recovered Eagle Standard and the Fifth Cohort outfitted in all the Imperial Gold lost on the expedition to Alaska. Behind the Cohorts, he saw the Praetors. Reyna was easy to identify, standing next to her Pegasus Scipio, her eyes locked on to the warship and her stance ready for anything, ready to swing herself on to Scipio at a moment's notice. Next to her, also outfitted in Praetor's purple toga could only have been Percy Jackson. His face was unfamiliar, but he could almost feel the power radiating off him. He looked relaxed, Jason noted, but was also at the ready. Jason could only guess what he had to do to get the Roman's not to attack them at first sight, especially if the glare on Octavian's face was anything to go by. Octavian shouted a Latin Curse at Percy, in a last ditch attempt to seize power over the situation, when Percy shouted back in kind, which actually seemed to help him settle into being a Roman for the duration of the meeting. The two people flanking him, Hazel Levesque and a large boy with a baby face that he didn't recognise, shared a glance of concern. Percy sent them a wink, then looked up at the warship. He met Jason's eyes for a moment, and an understanding passed between them.

Jason could have cut through the tension in the air with an Imperial Gold butter knife, if the ancient Praetors of Rome had ever commissioned such a thing. It was palpable, as everyone knew what to expect, but no-one was going to take that chance. He glanced at Piper and Leo beside him, their faces were uncharacteristically serious. He supposed, for them, this was walking into enemy territory, like it was for him when he first arrived at Camp Half-Blood. Annabeth stood a ways off from them, her face closed of any emotion, looking at Percy. Jason had to admit, it was disconcerting how well those clothes fit him, and despite not having a military-grade haircut, he was clearly not a man to cross. He learnt how to be a Roman, if nothing else, from this little adventure. When he spoke, it was loud, but he didn't shout. It was warm, but also emotionless, and although he could emulate this tactic, Jason was awed despite himself. "Greeks. You profess to come in peace, we can accept that. We will escort you to the Senate House, deposit your weapons next to Terminus and we will convene there. Any attempts of hostility on your part will be met with force and Juno's plan ends here. It's only my word that stops the Legion from killing you where you stand, so any transgressions on your part end your life, followed by mine." Percy's eyes were clear, and every Greek was struck by the militaristic attitude presented, as his tone brooked no argument on the fact that he considered himself a part of the Legion. He had changed, Jason noted, as he was always talked about as being kindhearted and obtuse, but it looked like only Annabeth and him that found the slight softness in his eyes, the only indicator that he wasn't as good as his word.

Jason carefully watched the reactions of those around him as they were escorted in silence to the Senate House. He hadn't been welcomed or recognised at all, and he supposed that would wait until they reached their destination. Piper was keeping as close to him as possible, obviously unnerved by the open hostility given by demigods, having been absent in the Titan War. She looked like she didn't know whether to draw Helen's dagger and just start fighting or cower from these glares that reminded her of the bullies from school. She did decide to keep her mouth clamped shut in case she reacted badly and charm-spoke someone and it was seen as a sign of hostility. Leo was walking next to Jason, his over-excessive ADHD keeping his eyes darting around the Legion members around him. It was situations like this that he hated, they were why he used to run away, but flaming to create a distraction and running for it wasn't an option, but Jason did notice the tensing of his body and the complete lack of humour in his eyes. Annabeth resolutely kept her eyes on the back of Percy Jackson's head, moving mechanically, she seemed even more of a shell than before, but was too proud and too conscious of the situation to call out. Jason's sister Thalia lead a small contingent of Hunters, after Artemis said that they were there to 'balance' or something, then again, Jason had seen the Amazons reinforcing the outer ring, so that could be what the Huntress meant. Thalia looked like she had been slapped, staring in disbelief at Percy, Jason remembered countless times hearing that their personalities were extraordinarily similar, but couldn't tell if his sister was trying to equate the change, or was trying to imagine circumstances that would leave her like that. The twins Travis and Conner Stoll were at the back of the group, and Jason saw them nervously chewing their lips and trying to keep their bodies still and the suspicious movements down to a minimum. They too were glancing at Percy, who Jason was starting to think had made a smart decision to lead in a position where he didn't watch the Greek Demigod Contingent the whole way, as it might have put cracks in his act, and undermined what he had been building with the Romans. Even that butch girl Clarisse was staring at Percy with something dangerously close to concern on her face. It was interesting, Jason thought, as he didn't catch any of the Romans looking at him like that, but their military discipline was always unmatched.

When they arrived, weaponless, at the Senate House of New Rome, they were invited to sit and were kept under close watch, while their leaders were called forward. It was a lot like a court trial for transgressions in New Rome, and the tension hadn't lessened any. Percy stood, "Despite having a good idea, can your leaders rise and inform us of the reason for this non-hostile visit." It was a gentle rebuke, reminding both sides of the non-reasons that conflict had escalated in the past. Annabeth and Jason stood, and Jason spoke. "As you well know, Hera, also Juno, performed the exchange of leaders of Camp-Half-Blood and Camp Jupiter as a plan to ensure the success of the next Great Prophesy: _Seven half-bloods shall answer the call. To storm or fire, the world must fall. An oath to keep with a final breath, And foes bear arms to the Doors of Death. _The Greeks and Romans have been foes, and the gods have seen fit to take measures to help us cooperate. Percy, do you remember Camp Half-Blood?" Percy stood up, a smirk on his face. "Indeed I do, former Praetor Jason Grace. Friends, it is as I have said, that the time for the prophesy is now, can the Seven come forward?" Percy and Jason stood together, each beckoning their companions from their last quest. Frank, Hazel, Leo and Piper came forward uncertainly, and stood next to their respective partners. Octavian spoke up "And so we have six. I'm sure each of you has been confirmed in various ways, I -we don't have time to hear about that right now. However, you're in need of a seventh hero, may I offer my services as an Interpreter of Prophesies to join you and bring glory to Rome?" Jason almost rolled his eyes, Octavian's bid for Praetorship when he returned was obvious, but they couldn't just bring him along to kill him at the first possible instance and rid Camp Jupiter of its greatest problem. That's not what the quest was for.

Jason noticed that Percy once again smirked, it seemed he had dealing with Octavian down to an art form. "Well, Legacy of Apollo, I would consider your request, but if we were in need of an Oracle, then the resident Oracle at Camp Half-Blood would have come along. They have the spirit of the Oracle Delphi, who Lord Apollo has allowed to flow from host to host in order to provide new, relevant, _whole_ prophesies from everything from great prophesies to individual quests. As the current host is not here, then we can assume that she is not necessary." Jason noticed that Percy failed to inform the Romans that Rachel was mortal. "However, it is not necessary to be in confusion as to who is the seventh hero is, for if we ask them, I'm sure they will come forward, as only one can take that title." In the resounding silence following that proclamation, Annabeth got up and joined the group. Clapping his hands together, Percy smiled and said "And there we go, number seven. Now, unless anyone has any questions, the Senate is adjourned. Be aware though, that neither Jason nor myself have rejected anyone up here." Reyna, who was sitting watching proceedings (Jason recalled that she had never been very politically savvy, preferring to be the Praetor that lead in the heat of battle) looked at the two most powerful demigods of the generation, and nodded once. "Alright Romans, you heard them, let's go! Also, could some of you show the Greeks around, and any of them going missing will be noticed, and you will be tried. On a related note, War games are moved to tomorrow night, and I think we will have everyone versus the Seven, hone their teamwork skills in a game of Siege."

While the Senate House emptied, the Seven left to Jason's house, which was just as he had left it. "So, since we'll be working together, we can't hold any secrets that could hurt each other." Jason was feeling better now that he was taking charge. He could see Percy straining to say something, so he set up some payback for what he had done to his friends. "Alright, so we'll share any relevant information. So it'll go me, Frank? Was that your name? Then... Leo, then Hazel, then Piper, then Annabeth, then Percy." Percy looked fit to murder Jason, but he pressed on "So my name is Jason Grace, Child of Rome and Son of Jupiter. I have power over air, and can fly. I can also use lightning. I'm strong enough to fight Titans and Giants, and have done so successfully, as I have fought Krios at Mt Othrys and the Giant Enceladus with my father's help. Enceladus is the Giant Anti-Athena. With my friends I freed Hera and fought Porphyrion, although he escaped. Frank, you next."

Frank looked uncomfortable at what he was being asked to do, but spoke anyway. "My name is Frank Zhang, Child of Rome and Son of Mars. I have his gift for tactics, and not much else, although I can use a bow. I am also the descendant of Periclymenus, who was the grandson of Neptune, and I have his gift of transformation into any animal. Because I have both Mars and Neptune in me, it was too much power for a mortal body, so I bear the curse of the Argonaut. My life," He was looking very uncomfortable at this time, "depends in this piece of firewood." He reached inside his armor and pulled out the stub. Leo backed away quickly, almost panicking as if he was about to spontaneously combust. Percy, still glaring at Jason, reached up and put his hand on Leo's shoulder, and flashed him a reassuring smile, which calmed him down a bit. Frank stared at them, confusion written on his face. "Anyway, I arrived at camp just over a month ago, went on a quest with Percy a week ago, and beat Alcyoneus, the Anti-Pluto with Hazel, though I suppose that Thanatos helped us there."

Jason watched in amusement at the discomfort everyone was in, although he only allowed himself this luxury as this was an activity that needed to be done. Leo took another step back from Frank as he launched into his story, while Jason noticed Hazel increased her grip on Frank's hand. "Um, hi, my name is Leo Valdez, I'm Greek, and Mexican, and I'm like the super awesome repair guy and Son of Hephaestus, so none of you Romans can call me Spock, alright? Hephaestus, not Vulcan. I went with the resident Roman and his girlfriend on our quest for Hera, hate her by the way." Annabeth, Frank, and Percy smiled "Um, anyway, I kind of have this rare, slightly unstable, totally awesome talent that right now means I should get far away from that guy." He pointed at Frank while taking another step back to prove his point. Hazel looked like she was trying not to laugh. "Um, I kind of have Hephaestus' gift for fire, I can sorta make it out of thin air." Frank paled and also took a step back. "I would show you my totally awesome display, but we want the big guy over there to keep living." The tension in the room was building as Frank and Leo tried to get away from each other."I don't suppose you all care at this point but I can also make epic machines and whip up awesome tofu burgers." The tension remained as Leo's already nervous voice trailed off. Jason watched as Percy, getting sick of this, took out his water canteen and emptied it into his hands, where he molded it into different shapes. He looked up and raised an eyebrow when he 'discovered' everyone was staring at him, and he made a motion for the introductions to continue.

Hazel, seeing what Percy was doing, stepped up and began her own introduction quickly, before everyone became tense again. "Hi, my name is Hazel Levesque, and I'm a Child of Rome and a Daughter of Pluto. I'm cursed with riches that always pop up from the ground in the form of large gems, precious metals, you get the idea. This stuff is cursed, so most people die or get grievously injured from touching it." She looked like she was going to withhold something, but she glanced at Frank, then Leo. "I'm also not from this time period, I was born in the 1940's and was forced into helping Gaea resurrect Alcyoneus back then, but I buried him and died." She spoke hurriedly, and Jason guessed that this wasn't easy to tell. "When the Doors of Death opened, Nico helped me return to life, and I went on the quest with Percy and Frank. With Frank I helped defeat Alcyoneus." She looked like she was about to finish when she seemed to have a thought. "Oh, Leo, did you have a grandfather called Sammy?" Leo nodded, confused. Hazel smiled sadly "He was my boyfriend back then, and I had to leave him to go to Alaska. I have Frank now," She flashed him a reassuring smile, as Frank was looking a little sick. "but you look and act remarkably like him, so it's going to be a little weird for me for a while."

Jason had to keep himself from laughing at the look on Leo's face as he realised that he was the source of serious complications of not one, but two of his fellow heroes. Jason put an arm around Piper's shoulders and gave her a reassuring clap on the back. She took her cue, "Hi, my name's Piper Mclean," Leo looked like he wanted to interrupt but Piper glared at him, although Frank and Percy seemed to recognise the name. "I'm a Daughter of Aphrodite, although it might as well be Venus compared to the airheads that call themselves my siblings at Camp." Jason watched her hand reflexively reach for her dagger, which wasn't there. "I went with Jason and Leo to save Hera, although I needed to free my father from Enceladus." She took a deep breath. "I have the ability to charm-speak people and minor gods into doing what I want, and I can speak fluent French. I can also see through most Witch enchantments, and am pretty handy with a dagger." Jason saw her face redden because she felt that she wasn't as strong or special as the other demigods, then she perked up and glared at Percy. "Oh yeah, and Percy! What is with all this military stuff? You say you remember, but what about your friends? Have you really changed that much from the Percy that everyone talks about?" Her voice became filled with charm-speak. "Tell me!" Percy looked up, met her eyes, and Jason saw that he hadn't been affected in the slightest, then he remembered the old counselor Drew. Jason wondered if it was because Percy had grown immune because of her trying to take him from Annabeth, or because from the outtake it was pointless trying to control the sea. His voice was hard "You don't know Rome. You may think you know Rome, but until you have been raised by Lupa and served in the Legion, you do not know Rome." Jason saw out the corner of his eye that Annabeth slumped slightly, and when everyone turned to look at her, she spoke like a computer, or someone dead.

"My name is Annabeth Chase, Hero of Olympus, and Daughter of Athena. I have been in no recent quests, nor have I battled any of Gaea's Giants. I spent my time looking for one that was lost, and one I fear may never be found. I was once the girlfriend of Percy Jackson, but for once I understand how impersonal and cold logic and plans are." Her speech rendered everyone silent. Jason sent a look at Percy and he spoke up, "My name is Perseus Jackson, Son of Neptune, although apparently it would me more appropriate to call him Poseidon. In my recent quest with Hazel and Frank, I lead the expedition to Alaska to free Thanatos. When we returned, I battled Polybotes, the Anti-Neptune, with Anaklusmos and Terminus' head. I do have one question though," Jason saw everyone gain confused expressions, while Percy glared at him. "Jason, can I drop the Roman act now?"


	2. Percy II

**A/N Updated by popular demand, I would like to thank everyone who reviewed. Please tell me if this chapter is up to the same standard as the first, as your reviews keep me writing. Also, Jason may seem different in this chapter, keep in mind that this is Percy's POV, and how he acted while taking charge in THL and chapter 1. Also, Percy will be a bit different from the books. Sorry about that, but I'm not Rick Riordan, so my Percy is probably more towards what I would like him to be rather than what he actually is at that time. THERE WILL BE A THIRD CHAPTER, THE MORE YOU REVIEW THE FASTER I WILL UPDATE!**

PERCY II

Percy hated Jason. It wasn't the 'I'm Greek and you're Roman' hate. It wasn't the 'you're the son of Zeus and I'm the son of Poseidon' hate either. It wasn't even the 'you're Hera's golden boy that got to spend the past eight months with _my_ girlfriend while I slept and became a Roman amnesiac'. It was the fact that Jason thought he didn't understand the gravity of the situation in the initial meeting, that he needed to be reminded to be completely Roman. He probably would have made it work -Percy had a way with people- while still cutting his old friends a break, but Jason had to be the leader. He was right in the way he wanted to do things, but it wasn't the way Percy himself would have handled it. It irked him that Jason was the _predetermined_ leader, and that everyone else on the quest that was a natural leader had to fall in line like good little soldiers. Percy was supposed to not only support that, but stop dissent by being the 'glue' that held everyone together. This whole teamwork thing was going to take some getting used to, and the final outcome would either make or break them, regardless of what roles they were 'supposed' to do.

Percy wasn't surprised when everyone looked at him like he had grown a third head when he asked Jason if he could drop the act, but he was surprised that he had to ask. From the moment their eyes first met, Jason had taken charge of the situation, so Percy figured it was high time he earned it. His musing about the son of Jupiter didn't stop the flow of time, however, and so he was blindsided by the slap Annabeth gave him. Looking at her, his heart almost broke seeing the distraught state she was in, she didn't even bother to factor in his old Curse of Achilles when she slapped him, which was a testament to how out of it she was. Suddenly finding himself at the center of attention, Percy figured that he ad to quickly appease the masses before they tore him apart. "Uh, hey guys, it's still me in here, just so you know..." He trailed off and turned to Annabeth, "Wise Girl, c'mon, you know me." She shook her head, but already there was a fire in her eyes that wasn't there before "Then why did you have to make your act so _gods-forsaken_ perfect! Even in here, when all the contingents of Camp Jupiter had left, why did you have to continue like that! I thought I knew you, Seaweed-Brain, but I don't get this."

Percy straightened up to look at Jason, who was looking out over proceedings with what appeared to be amusement. He knew that look, it was the look of one that found the viable course of action that was the most entertaining, and proceeded to implement that plan because it was suddenly their gods-given right to do so. It was alright for him, Percy thought darkly, he was the one sponsored by Juno all his life. Juno was just like Hera in that aspect, forgetting to remain objective because her self-righteous morals proved beyond a doubt that some people were better than others, and as the Queen of Heaven it was her right to judge those worthy and curse all those that didn't fit the bill. Percy spoke, "Jason, dude, just remember that you don't know us all yet, and just because Juno chose you to play leader doesn't mean that we're all suddenly your puppets." Jason smirked as he responded "Percy, you're the only person I don't know. Leo and Piper are good people, they came with me on our quest, and I would trust them with with my life. Hazel here was becoming a good friend of mine, and if she chose Frank to be her boyfriend, then I trust her judgment. All I know of you are the rumours that I've heard, and we both know that those are hardly reliable. I've seen Annabeth deteriorate in both mind and body looking for you, she hasn't gotten any better. I've seen you here, and I'm grateful for all you've done for Camp Jupiter, but this isn't a one-man army. This isn't even a three man team, this is _seven_, and the leader needs to be the one who can organise legions to their most effective. I was Praetor of New Rome after growing up Roman all my life, who better than me? Lady Juno chose me, so why don't you get with the program so we can start planning our trip to Old Rome?"

Percy wasn't a patient person. Powerful, yes, but not patient. Jason rubbed him the wrong way, and despite the fact that it was done purely because that was how he habitually handled things, Percy needed to show Jason why he couldn't just play toy soldiers with their lives. Running his hand through his hair and looking around the room in frustration, he took note of the others' reactions. Frank looked nervous at the aura of power coming from the two, but he looked equally likely to just turn into an elephant and pin them down while they sorted out their issues. Hazel looked distinctly uncomfortable, but she looked like she would side with Percy if he needed the help. Frank would too, but this was a tactics game to him, and he needed a way to diffuse the tension with minimal bloodshed. Piper looked worried, like this was simply how Jason got sometimes and she couldn't do anything about it. Leo's face kept flickering between indignant anger, shame, and annoyance which made Percy think that Leo had seen this before, it rubbed him the wrong way too, but his higher dose of ADHD made him start something he would have regretted of it had been allowed to finish. Annabeth just studied them, she would come to a conclusion, which Percy was glad about. Even at his own peril, it was good to see Annabeth do something so _normal_, but Percy didn't have much time for thought as he stared down Jason.

Frank was the one to interrupt, which was good, as the tension was continuing to mount. Percy was grateful for the interruption, and also eager to see what Frank would come up with. Frank's prowess with battle tactics had grown ever since Mars had claimed him, however much he denied it. "Alright, um we need to sort this out, because we can't have our two most powerful members at blows, so we need a contest to get rid of the excess aggression. Roman combat, one on one, in front of the Legion and the Greeks. We'll make it an exhibition, with no holds barred, and each of you will have a gladius." Percy was surprised at the details of the suggestion, but inwardly smiled, as only Frank could have come up with something this simple and unbiased. Any suggestions from him or Jason would have been tantamount to declaring war on each other, and Percy watched the shocked look on Jason's face with smug satisfaction.

Percy was thinking as he prepared himself for the fight with Jason. Frank had taken the idea to Reyna, and she had agreed to host the event in the miniature Colosseum of New Rome. In keeping with the ancient traditions of Rome, the 12th Legion had built one in each of the countries the gods had settled in when building each New Rome. Usually it was used as a training ground on a day-to-day basis, as security meant that they could not follow the tradition of stealing people for slaves and rebuilding the Roman Empire on their backs. Because it was scaled down, the Colosseum looked full with the 200 Legionnaires, the Contingent of Amazons, Artemis' Hunters and the Greek Demigods that came with the Argo II. Percy reflected on his training with Lupa as he fitted and adjusted his armour. She didn't teach Romans things like how to wield a sword, or how march in time, or any of the official training received at Camp Jupiter. She taught them instead how to live on your instincts alone and to have the heart of a true Roman. During the months that Percy spent with her, it was apparent that he was suited to the lifestyle, and mostly needed the time for discipline. Since regaining his memories, it was an interesting contrast of how Greek and Roman soldiers were trained to think. Greeks were all about the skills, so you were supposed to learn to wield the sword, become one with the sword, and put the sword down at the end of the day. It was a good balance of humanity vs killer, and the strongest Greek heroes such as Heracles and Achilles were renown for their fighting prowess, but also for their individualism. Greek soldiers took care of themselves, and fought well together only when the situation applied for it. Romans weren't about the individual soldier. It was all about the Legion. When you joined, you lived, fought, killed, and died for the Legion until you were discharged. The fighting style mainly focused on honing specific instincts, so everyone moved in perfect sync. Because of this, Roman heroes were fewer and of less acclaim than Greek heroes, but were usually the generals that led the Legions and Empire to greatness, such as Julius Caesar. The differences between the cultures showed in their fighting styles, as Greeks were opportunists that improvised a lot whereas Romans were purely logical in their approach.

Percy tested the weight and balance of the gladius in his hand, which was Imperial Gold despite the fact that he and Jason were only fighting until one of them yielded. Even though it was unfamiliar, it didn't feel like the balance was _wrong_ as all the other Greek swords felt before he was given Anaklusmos. Giving it a few practice swings, he could feel his Roman instincts hum in harmony, and all of the techniques he had seen various Romans execute became obvious to him, as well as a few that he hadn't seen. Holding it while in gladiator-style armour gave him a sense of the power the Roman Empire once must have held, and he attuned himself to it. He knew that in pure Roman fighting that Jason was better than him, but his instincts were strong and his reflexes were fast; he could probably take on most Romans here one on one. Percy was planning on gauging Jason's skill with a sword while attuning himself to the Roman style as he was with the Greek, before doing what he did best and making things interesting. As the sky was open to Jason, Reyna had declared advantage and flooded the outer ring of the stadium, where water was supplied from in the old ship battles in Old Rome. Percy felt the water flowing, the time was near. Praying that Jason hadn't learnt the Greek style, Percy walked out into the arena.

The roar of the crowd was deafening as Percy walked out into the Colosseum. He looked around to see the faces that recognised him in the crowd, and sent a smile to Tyson who had stayed since the battle with Polybotes. His eyes found the Praetors' seats in the crowd, and saw Reyna standing, obviously announcing the event to the crowd. He watched with a smirk as Octavian slunk up to her, only to be met by her drawn sword. Turning his eyes back to his opponent, he saw Jason walk up fully at the ready, his body language not underestimating him, but still with a cocky smile on his face. Percy, watching him, had an epiphany of how Jason was set up. Hera had a plan for the prophesy while Olympus was closed, and Jason was her champion. Jason was the one chosen by Hera to lead this quest. Jason was the son of Jupiter, who was a more powerful Zeus in his eyes, while Percy was the son of Poseidon, and Romans feared only Neptune, who had to be stronger than Poseidon ever was, and Neptune was _still _less than Jupiter Optimus Maximus. Jason, who was recovering his memory at the time, had to have heard rumours and tales of how Percy fought, but as the memories of Camp Jupiter began to become clear again, it would become painfully obvious how much more militaristic Rome is to Greece, and he would have disregarded those tales as exaggerations because Greeks were much better at writing legends than recognising a good warrior. Now, Jason was on his home turf, and in front of the people he grew up with. Only this son of a Sea God stood in his way of saving the world and bringing glory to Juno and Rome. He was meant to lead the charge on Gaea herself, who did this upstart demigod think he was?

Percy almost felt sorry for Jason, but was heavily reminded of the Roman traits he didn't like, mainly the pursuit of power and glory in the name of Rome, and being a ruthless bastard while doing it. Camp Jupiter praised him for his strength, but saw his kindness as a novelty, something to be curious about, but certainly not expect from true Romans, and his fighting proved that Percy wasn't very Roman, so he had to finish imprinting the message. As Reyna gave the signal to fight, Jason started on the psychological warfare. "So, Percy, are you Roman enough to wield a gladius? It's not the sword you used to kill Saturn, not that he could have put up much of a fight once I had defeated Krios and toppled his Black Throne!" Percy continued to circle, Jason too busy speaking to actually start fighting, "I'm the greatest warrior the Legion has seen in centuries! I've already beaten the famous Lityerses, Reaper of Men, do you really think you stand a chance!" With a battle cry Jason leapt towards Percy. Percy was on his toes trying to keep away from Jason's stabs, he really was good with a blade. Percy held back, not countering yet as this blade was so much lighter than Riptide, and the last thing he wanted to do was overextend and find himself at Jason's mercy. Hearing the crowd turn ugly at the lack of real action, Percy sidestepped an upward thrust and countered with his own. Jason was forced to backpedal as they began a true Roman fight. The part of his brain that was disengaged from the fighting noticed that Jason's style was powerful, but jerky as he struck like lightning, or an annoying wasp. On the other hand, Percy's reactions had always been fluid, and he quickly grew to be in control of the swordplay. Jason was becoming desperate, Percy noticed, as of he saw Percy mastering his weapon more and more as the fight progressed. Percy began to swat away Jason's thrusts with the flat of his blade, turning into the following riposte, getting in close enough to start swiping with the sword in a more Greek manner. As they clashed and fell back, Jason started to increase the strength of his strikes, generating sparks whenever their swords met. His power was as great as a Titan's, but Percy had just come from a mostly solo fight with the Giant meant to kill his father, so his strength held out. As nothing was changing, Percy tested the versatility of the blade and turned it blade back in his hand. He had to increase his grip and adjust his center of balance after the first strike as it nearly lost him his blade, the flashy technique not working so well in parctice. Percy decided to kick it up one more notch, even as he heard Annabeth's future lecture on unreliable flashy tactics in the middle of a serious fight.

Disengaging from the last clash, Percy leapt back an extra foot as he brought his blade forward like the ninjas he used to watch on TV when he was young. Dashing forward, he pulled lightly at the pit of his stomach as their blades met, making a slight tremor in the ground. Everyone paused in shock as they disengaged. Silence echoed throughout the stadium until Frank stood up and yelled "And you say Neptune's gift to _me_ is unfair!" Jason, now uncertain, flew up into the air as he called "How did you do that!" Percy smirked and called the water on the edges of the stadium to him as he announced "My father is Earthshaker!" He called the water to make a miniature hurricane under his feet as he rose to Jason's level, "And Stormbringer!" He charged Jason in middair.

Percy was in his zone now, that fighting state he pushed himself to when battling Titans and Giants. He absorbed excess water from his hurricane to augment his strength, and he flew at Jason, while mentally promising the gods he would apologise to Zeus for being in his territory after the fight. Jason skidded through the air after blocking the first strike, and called lightning to him in desperation. He hurled the bolts at Percy, who casually deflected them into his storm, which was gathering thunderclouds. Jason was terrified as Percy continued to approach, and commanded the winds in a last-ditch effort to stop the storm that was growing to surround Percy as a weapon. Percy charged him one last time and held him close with the storm. The gladius was torn from Jason's hand and flung to the ground beneath them. Percy tried a new trick as he made fists out of the swirling storm and beating Jason with them. The lightning didn't effect him, but the buffeting winds and torrential water tore through his clothes and scratched him up a bit. Bringing his gladius to Jason's throat, Percy said "Yield." Shivering and bloody, Jason submitted. Knocking him out with the hilt of his sword, Percy let Jason drop to the ground hard before regaining consciousness. Lowering himself and sending a silent apology to the Lord of the Sky, Percy gratefully floated back to the earth before dissipating his storm. The audience was stunned at the display as Reyna gave Percy the victory signal. Percy turned to walk away, bone tired but not letting anyone see. Jason stirred "How did you get your father to help you?" Percy turned back one last time, "I didn't, that was all me."

The seven sat in the infirmary by Jason's bed, where he sat nibbling on ambrosia. Percy was lying down on a spare bed, his eyes closed as he rested, but not slept. Everyone looked tired from the stress caused by Percy and Jason, but everyone seemed in a better mood. No-one seemed willing to break the silence until Percy spoke. "Sorry for the delay on the planning guys, heh, I hope no-one but Sparky got hurt at the exhibition." Annabeth rolled her eyes and Jason scowled. Jason went to ask something but was interrupted by Percy, who seemed to sense where the conversation was going. "Sorry for doing that to you Jason, but I guess we needed to get that out. I wasn't lying when I said that was all me, in quests at Camp Half-Blood, we'd get separated all the time, it only took a few years before I caught on to the fact that everyone had to take care of their own training, so we could rely on each other. My growth seemed to speed up during the Titan war, and I learnt a few things on our last quest. I won't be the weak link, Jason, so factor that in when you're leading us." Everyone's heads jerked to look at Percy. "What, did you think I would take that away from you? Just do a good job so I won't have to step in and do it for you."


	3. Annabeth III

**A/N Thanks soooooooo much for all the reviews! Here's the final chapter, I updated as soon as possible.**

**Disclaimer: Still don't own Percy Jackson, *shrugs***

Annabeth III

Annabeth was with the seven in Jason's house. It had been two days since he and Percy fought out their frustrations, and now they were spending the afternoon planning strategies for the upcoming game of Siege. When they had first met after Jason and Percy got some rest and healing, the first topic on their agenda had been when they left. While it was all good that they were working out the kinks of teamwork, Gaea and her giants weren't going to wait for them. Still, they had to get a feel for how each of them responded in the field, and therefore the delay had been put in place. They were going to leave this evening, but first, they had to get past this hurdle, and it wasn't to be taken lightly. Annabeth wouldn't have believed the speed and quality of the Roman Fortresses if she hadn't seen it with her own eyes, and currently had no trouble believing that Rome had been built in two days. This War 'Game' was going to be tough to say the least.

The objective was to get into the center of the Fortress. The running scenario was that one of the Giants had found something in the archeology that merited an encampment. They were to get in, steal their banner, and escape with it. They were also under the handicap of not actually being able to kill those that got in their way. The Fortress had an outer wall, with a gate they were forced to build. The Field of Mars was devoid of any forestry, so the wall ran around the entirety of the fortress. Hazel had informed them that it was well entrenched and fortified, and despite the fact that Roman Legionnaires frowned on archery, they had no qualms posting the Hunters of Artemis on the outer wall. The was was braced entirely underground with inner fortifications being the same as the outer fortifications, Reyna was taking no chances. Inside the outer wall was bare earth, with enough space between the outer wall and the center to fit a cohort comfortably. The five cohorts were going to be evenly spaced behind the perimeter, with their intelligence being courtesy of Frank and an eagle he knew as well as his own body, he could see the markers being placed, they weren't the only ones at the planning table. They couldn't gather any more data as the Hunters of Artemis had taken up their posts and resolutely cleared the air of all native flying wildlife. They had been briefed on Franks abilities and weren't allowing any animals close. Annabeth looked up from her sketches to see how everyone else was doing. Frank was looking at sketches next to her, but his mind would show its true worth when things went south in the field, as they always did. Jason and Percy looked like they were discussing Roman building styles, their weak points and how much force would be needed to bring them down. Leo was tinkering with a machine for Piper, who it looked like commissioned a megaphone-type device to enhance her powers of charm-speak. Hazel was meditating in a corner, gathering what intelligence she could from the earth, but she looked like she was tiring and her eyes fluttered open. Jason and Percy seemed to come to an accord and they stood up. Percy stepped forward "Alright, I think we can start on a plan!"

Percy. Annabeth never realised how much of her life he was until he disappeared. She had scoured Camp Half-Blood from top to bottom searching for him when he had vanished, never giving it a second thought that he had meant that much to her. It was interesting, objectively, when one looked at their relationship, as she wasn't the defenseless maiden that a hero like him would typically have to save. Then again, he wasn't a typical hero, he had a heart of gold and defied the gods at every turn, even turning down godhood when they had offered it. She remembered one of the nights that they had apent snuggled together at night where they would talk about the simplest parts of their loves the other had missed out on, and she fully agreed with Echidna when she said that they didn't make heroes like they used to, they made them better. She supposed it was the trust that they shared that made their relationship so special, as simply dating didn't mean anything anymore, not with ritual heart-breakers from the Aphrodite looking for decent guys to destroy. But then again, Annabeth wasn't the other end of the spectrum either, she wasn't sappy and romantic, she was as likely to whack Percy over the head as kiss him. It was that they had shared so much with each other, like how they knew each other so well as to fight seamlessly together, to even guess accurately what the other was thinking under most circumstances. He was her Seaweed Brain, and she was his Wise Girl. When she looked at it that way, it seemed no surprise then how distraught she was when he disappeared. She basically marshalled all of Camp on the search to look for him, she was always on some search-party or other. She remembered begging at the feet of Lady Artemis to permit her Hunters look for him, the boy that went against everything known and won the favour of the boy-hating Huntress. She remembered Clarisse of all people finding her when she disappeared in a right state and reminiscing with her the delights of pounding Kelp Head. She remembered tossing down her book on architecture, when it failed to engage her. She remembered shutting down Daedalus' laptop in frustration. She remembered spacing out of different plans that she could once focus on with undivided attention to lose her self in memory of Percy.

"Ahem." Shaking her head to clear it and looking down in an attempt to hide her blush, Annabeth tried to hide from the concerned eyes looking at her. This was supposed to stop now that she had found Percy again. _This_ was never meant to happen in the first place, she was the daughter of Athena! Athena was a brain child, as she was, but swore off physical companionship and emotional needs as leeches on her precious mind. Her mind seemed to be all that her mother had, and therefore all that she could pass on, but still, why was it so hard to balance and be like a normal person? She didn't need her mother whispering in her mind to tell her that normal people weren't as intelligent as her, and many gods fit that description. Celibacy and a heart of stone were the only ways to ensure a healthy logical mind that saw what others missed. Still, looking discreetly at Percy as they discussed tactics, it was never that simple for demigods. When she arrived, she had all but given up on ever finding the Percy that she loved again. She was becoming emotionless from the trauma, and probably would have ended up like a sentient computer if she had continued down that path. Seeing him in those Praetor's robes from the Argo II was a jolt to the heart, which she quickly stamped down on, she would not let Hera hurt her anymore. When he spoke in those unforgiving Roman tones, it was easy to separate the two people in he mind, and squash that tiny bit of hope that lurked despite her best efforts. It was everything else that was excruciatingly painful. The oh-so-familiar mannerisms and signals that were so much a part of him shone through, and twisted her heart. It was in the way he walked, despite the Roman uniform steps, it was in the way he turned his head, his facial twitches and his inflection. Despite how Roman it all was, she could see her Percy there as plain as day, but he was beneath the surface and she couldn't be sure if he was still there or just unconscious muscle memory that stuck around. Either way, it twisted her in knots.

The sun was setting as the seven prepared for Siege. Annabeth strapped on her knife and armour, but already felt inferior to the demigods around her. She was the only one that had never faced a Giant, she was the only one that had never gone up against that level of power, and it left her feeling woefully unprepared for what was ahead. Sure, she had participated in the Titan War, and tangled with the Titans a few times, but she was never in a position where she was the primary opponent, she usually just went around invisibly and killed monsters from behind. That definitely wasn't an option when they went to Rome to rescue Nico and eventually Greece to save Old Olympus, as they had to stay fighting long enough to earn the help of the Gods, and that wasn't a style of warfare she typically used. It didn't help that her most effective time had passed, at the drawing board, so she was nervous. She gripped her knife handle in its sheath tightly, she wouldn't be the one that dragged the team down. Either way, it was definitely going to be a spectacle, and she had no doubts that this was a War Game to go down in history, both Greek and Roman.

The sun finally dipped below the horizon, which was the agreed apon starting time. They didn't bother with a horn or drum, but instead let the eerie silence inform all that it was time. The seven grouped in formation: Jason at the front, Piper and Leo flanking behind him, Hazel and Frank behind them, and Percy at the back. Annabeth was given free reign to roam with her Yankees cap on. She saw Percy and Jason lift up their arms, and a storm began to swirl around the group. Jason pulled in clouds for Percy to extract water from, and the storm picked up. Hazel concentrated and a geyser of water erupted from the ground, followed by another one. She stopped there to conserve energy, but Percy already had plenty to work with. The storm became a barrier of protection that was a twister of lightning and hurricane. They pushed forward, time was of the essence, and Jason and Percy couldn't keep this up all day. The storm quickly proved useful as it saved them from the Hunters' arrows, not one of them ended up hitting their target, and Annabeth had just enough time to consider how embarrassing that would be for them when they reached the outer gate.

The outer gate was much like the wall surrounding it, heavyset wood. They would have usually used stone, but any power Hazel would have over it was a weakness that the defending side could not afford. It was on giant hinges, but also in old style wood. Because they had to be made to open, there was a huge beam that fell across the inside that must have been most of the trunk of a tree. It looked like some children of Ceres had found a rare sapling, as the wood looked heavier and harder to burn than any other wood. Annabeth saw Leo leap forward, his hands aflame. They looked hotter than normal, and Annabeth saw the flame go from red to yellow to blue to finally white as Leo heaved in exhaustion. He pushed his hands into the crack between the giant gates, but there wasn't room for his hands, and the group waited with bated breath as the wood glowed and started to give way. It was slow work, but eventually Leo had managed to get his hands on the beam. The Hunters weren't firing, but held their arrows knocked, waiting for the storm to tire. Jason and Percy were sweating under the strain, and Piper was feeding them and Leo small amounts of ambrosia, which gave a surge. Annabeth saw Leo yell something to Frank, something about the Fire not working on the beam. Cursing, Frank turned to Percy and Annabeth caught the words "... Plan B!" Percy, his face twisting with exertion stumbled as the ground gave a sharp jolt. Annabeth could hear a crack as the beam splintered, and smiled as her plan worked, despite the fact that Percy was now tired from wrenching on the bedrock like that. She saw Leo back away from the gate and Frank hand his stub to Hazel, before he backed up, turned into a replica of Hannibal, and charged the weakened gate. The whole encampment shuddered again as Frank burst through, and the seven were quick to follow.

Annabeth made sure her earplugs were in place. Leo had invented a new type of earplugs that blocked out all sound in the absence of wax, and she shimmered into the visible spectrum to nod with the rest of the group as the plan moved into phase two. As the rest of the group followed Frank, who had put his earplugs in before charging, Piper stepped past him to the cohorts on the other side that were planning to pincer them the moment they burst through. The storm was faltering, and Percy and Jason were looking feverish from the amount of ambrosia. Jason had to hold the storm on his own for a while after Percy fractured the gate, so neither was in any shape to fight for the moment. Piper raised her hand to her throat, and said something. This was the ticket to halting the armies, as if this failed, then they were all doomed. Despite the fact that she couldn't hear what Piper said, Annabeth breathed a sigh of relief as everyone around them drooped and went to sleep, including those on the wall. It was obvious they weren't expecting that tactic, as not one of them had prepared or could resist the charmspeak. Switching her device off, Piper gestured to all of them to turn their earplugs off, and they stormed into the 'Keep'. The Keep didn't have an outer door, but was manned by a group of guards that had fallen asleep. Unfortunately it seemed Rome had forgotten the power of Venus.

Annabeth took off her hat and led the group into the Keep. They didn't know what was going to be in there, but she was a strong fighter and her godly powers wouldn't help much in the field. It was interesting though, she wasn't sure that she had 'godly' powers per se, but just had natural talents befitting her godly parent. Her mind was sharp, but now that she thought about it there wasn't a 'power' of Athena that she could call apon. It was the difference between having a natural inclination towards machinery like the Hephaestus kids, but another thing entirely to have the power of fire at your disposal. She was the only demigod without a 'godly power', although she had heard whispers since arriving of 'The Mark of Athena', apparently it's a Roman prophecy, which made no sense since they worship Minerva. Regardless, she was still the only demigod still in full fighting condition: Percy and Jason were exhausted from holding the storm and the earthquake, Leo and Hazel were shaken by the intensive use of their powers, as Leo had never tried to go that hot and Hazel had never tried to surface water before. Piper was breathing heavily, as for however much her voice was magnified, she still had to power that with purely her own charm-speak, which was much more labour-intensive than it usually was. Frank would normally be fine after only a single transformation, but he was still dazed from his collision with the gate, and it would take a while to shake off he cobwebs. It was on Annabeth to see them through safely until the more heavy hitters recuperated, she just hoped there wasn't anything _too_ nasty in the Keep.

The Keep was as huge as it was labyrinthine. They had only the vaguest idea of where to go, which meant that they were hopelessly lost. Annabeth tried to keep her sense of direction, but she didn't even know if the banner was on the roof or deeply underground. She led them down, as Hazel should be able to tell them if the banner was in one of the excavated caves. The Greek heroes were guarding the hallways, having had more practice fighting on their own in enclosed spaces than the Roman Legionnaires. Back at Camp Half-Blood everyone had wanted to come and see Percy again, either because they had knew him well or because they wanted to see with their own eyes proof that she would stop making them search. Because they hadn't wanted to seem too threatening, they had only taken most of the Hermes Cabin, which was still the largest, and the Apollo Cabin. Hermes didn't specialise in fighting, so they hoped the Cabin weren't going to be too threatening. Hermes/Mercury was also the god of travelers, and roads, and all roads lead to Rome. Apollo didn't change his name or character in the transition, so his kids were a safe bet. Now, of course, they were the enemy, and Annabeth was quickly getting frustrated sneaking around and knocking them out. Fortunately they were drowsy, as Piper's voice must have echoed in here too, and therefore weren't as much of a threat as they should have been. Hazel spoke up "There's one room, just beneath the surface of the ground, but I can't tell if it has the banner in it, chances are it's a wooden pole flag with the style of everything else, still, we better have a look, follow me."

Annabeth's heart was racing as she followed Hazel down into the depths of the Keep. This seemed too easy, as despite the fact that Hazel wasn't as strong in the ground as Jason was in the air or Percy was in the water, they still must have known better than to just build a room underground and not expect Hazel to find it. Annabeth cautioned the rest of the group as she approached the portal at the bottom of the stairs. The room was well lit, comfortable in atmosphere, and it had the banner. The seven walked in cautiously and Annabeth grabbed the banner. Immediately they were jumped by Amazons, and the other six demigods were held hostage. They could have beaten the Amazons had they seen them, but they excelled in surprise attacks. Annabeth was approached by Clarisse and Queen Hylla. Clarisse sported a full-blown smirk as she said "Normally in this situation we would just kill you all, but we'll do this like you're beneath us. Annabeth, prove that you're better than all of us for this quest, you're the only one that hasn't earned their way on. Prove that you're more than some two-bit daughter of Athena and beat us, free your friends, and escape here with the banner." Annabeth's heart lurched as she was reminded of the cyclops she faced when she was seven with Luke and Thalia. Anger coursed through her, along with that little bit of doubt that was always there. "Mother help me." Pain coursed through her.

Annabeth clutched her forehead in pain as it felt like she was being branded. She felt godly strength unlike anything she had ever known course through her and settle in her eyes. Opening them, they had pupils dilated like an owl's as she surveyed the room around her. Annabeth was in shock, she could see to the clearest detail and a wealth of information poured into her head:

Primary opponent Clarisse: balanced stance

Head cocked, partially deaf in left ear.

Muscles tensed, about to lunge with spear: sidestep left.

Annabeth felt the knowledge enter her head and instinctively sidestepped as Clarisse lunged with her electric spear. With no warning, it was all she could do to marvel how she knew to do that while her body was responding further.

Follow through with right elbow to base of neck: knock unconscious

Draw knife: hold in open stance.

Secondary opponent Hylla mentally stunned: charge

Hold knife steady: intend to stab

Bail and follow elbow: spin to knock out tertiary target with secondary elbow.

Primary ally free: Hazel will pin feet with earth.

Change knife grip to point: throw hilt first to free secondary ally: Frank

Pick up banner: other allies are in the process of being freed.

Annabeth didn't know where her gift came from, but blazed through the room on preemptive knowledge until all of the seven were free. They were all looking at her stunned until Percy whispered "... _Wisdom's daughter walks alone, The Mark of Athena burns through Rome._"

Annabeth didn't know quite what to make of that, but quickly ushered the rest of the demigods out of the room. She somehow knew that Piper's charm-speak would wear off soon, just like how she could see the more walked hallways that would lead them to the roof. Once there, her forehead burned again and her vision returned to normal, she couldn't see the details anymore. It didn't matter, as Jason embraced them all and flew off the roof and out of the Fortress. The banner fluttered in the wind over their heads, and they landed out by where Reyna was with Scipio. Everyone was breathing hard until Leo spoke up, "So, does this mean we win?"

THE END


	4. Epilogue

**A/N Thanks for all the reviews, I'll tie up the story here. This was never going to be a full imagining of the Mark of Athena, but was originally going to be just the Reunion. Thanks to everyone who read this fic.**

**Disclaimer: I am not Rick Riordan**

Epilogue

Annabeth

Annabeth sighed as she walked back onto the Argo II. Looking back at the farewell, it struck her just how much of a miracle it was to see Greeks and Romans side by side, and Amazons, Hunters, and male heroes not fighting each other. It was night, as agreed, and the mood seemed somber when only lit by various torches, and everyone moving around on the silence of night, not one of them wanting to break the spell. She also noted how she seemed to be the odd one out. It had to happen, really, as seven was a prime number, but the mechanics were going to be awkward. Their game of Siege helped cement the trust between them, but it was going to take a lot more to trust people implicitly. There were still the visible groups of Jason's team, Percy's team, and her. Annabeth would have loved to say that she trusted Percy implicitly, as she once did, but the truth of the matter was that everything was too rushed to spare the time to properly catch up. Percy probably trusted her to that level (she hoped), but couldn't suddenly snap back to the person he was without dumping Hazel and Frank, which he would never do even if his fatal flaw wasn't personal loyalty.

"This is the Argo II's Supreme Commander Leo speaking. Now that we're all on board, I would like to cast off so that we can save the world as quickly as possible." Annabeth felt the corners of her mouth twitch, typical Leo, she really would have to apologise for all those times back at Camp Half-Blood when she threatened to neuter him when his humour overrode his preservation instincts and she was highly strung. Maybe _after_ the quest she'd apologise to him... Not likely.

The ship picked up effortlessly, Percy was saving it the need of a crew. Watching the dark waters of the lagoon lap at the inlet, Annabeth was struck by a sense of peace. Turning from the shrinking glow of Camp Jupiter, she turned out to see the horizon. Absently running her hand across her forehead, she sent a prayer of thanks to her mother, for the Mark of Athena.


End file.
